15 Nov
1998
15 Nov
'98
12:33 a.m.
On 13 Nov 1998 Eric Smith wrote:
That's my point. The Syquest SyJet and Sparq
drives, and the Iomgea
Jaz drive, appear to use what you have listed as configuration 2.
They have to, in order to get .75 to 1.0G density per platter.
Configuration 1 can't get the head close enough to the media. And even
if they did use configuration 1 and get the head close enough to the
media, then it would be just as susceptible to foreign particles as
configuration 2.
That's precisely why they are so f*&#ing unreliable.
Out of over 30 SyJet and Sparq drives, I don't think we've had a single
one last more than 100 cartridge insert/eject cycles.
I'm surprised more people don't use MO (magneto-optical) drives. 640MB on a
3.5" MO disk, no head contact with disk surface (data read using laser), not
susceptible to magnetic fields, media life at least 30 years, cheap media
compared to Jaz, Zip etc. (12 pounds for a 640MB disk)
If the disk surface ever gets really dusty (and this will take a very long
time) you can just use a cleaning kit; basically this involves wiping the disk
surface with a cloth moistened with fluid, like you would to clean a CD-ROM
disc.
-- Mark